Indiana Pacers second-round selection Enrique Freeman one of last unsigned 2024 draft picks

Freeman was the 50th overall selection

Indiana Pacers forward Enrique Freeman speaks with reporters after a 2024 summer league outing. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Tony East) /

Indiana Pacers forward Enrique Freeman is one of just seven remaining unsigned draft picks from the 2024 NBA Draft.

Every first-round selection from that draft has inked their first contract. In the second round, just over a half-dozen players still have not put pen to paper, including Freeman. Two players picked in that round have signed deals overseas (San Antonio Spurs 36th overall pick Juan Núnez with Barcelona and Dallas Mavericks 51st overall pick Melvin Ajinca with ASVEL Basket).

That leaves five other unsigned picks, and Freeman is one of them. Kyle Filipowski (pick 32 to the Utah Jazz), Nikola Djurisic (pick 43 to the Atlanta Hawks), Quinten Post (pick 52 to the Golden State Warriors), and Kevin McCullar Jr. (pick 56 to the New York Knicks) are the other four.

In some cases, there is an understood reason for the delay. Signing Filipowski, for example, would cut into Utah's cap space, and they clearly have it earmarked for something — either to renegotiate Lauri Markkanen's contract or use it after trading the Finish forward. Once that business is sorted out, the 32nd overall pick should agree to terms with Utah. Post reportedly is two-way bound with Golden State, per The Athletic, but the Warriors are rumored to be in the mix for Markkanen and may have some back-end roster considerations to sort out.

Djurisic, McCullar, and Freeman remain. Djurisic fractured his left foot during summer league play, and the Hawks already have a crowded roster with 15 guaranteed contracts and three two-way agreements. His short-term future is cloudy. McCullar is also injured and missed summer league entirely, though the Knicks do have open two-way slots.

Freeman isn't injured, at least with a publicly-known ailment, and the team that drafted him doesn't have any obvious business left to take care of. That makes his unsigned case perhaps the most curious, yet the conclusion may be obvious.

Indiana has two players (Quenton Jackson and Tristen Newton) on two-way contracts. That means they have an open two-way slot. Additionally, the Pacers have a pair of talents in Cole Swider and Kendall Brown on fully non-guaranteed deals, meaning there could be a battle for the final spot on the NBA roster.

Freeman was impressive in summer league, showing off a motor while using his length defensively. He was efficient with his finishing and strong on the glass. Compared to expectations, he may have been the best Pacers player in summer league.

His strong performances may actually be why he is unsigned. The Pacers have the option of putting Freeman on the roster instead of a non-guaranteed contract or simply putting him on a two-way deal. The Akron product was selected 50th overall, and players chosen that late typically end up on two-way agreements unless their team is in need of cheap talent.

Had Freeman been pedestrian during summer league, it would have been easy for Indiana to slot him into their two-way slot without a second thought. But he could be serviceable this season, and his minimum cap hit is lower thanks to his zero years of service. For a team flirting with the luxury tax, that would be valuable.

Oscar Tshiebwe has his qualifying offer available, so there are still bits of business to figure out for the Pacers with the back of their roster. Freeman, one of the last unsigned draft picks, is among that business. What happens with Tshiebwe, Brown, and Swider could have a bearing on the final outcome.

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